Giada De Laurentiis Interview in Redbook

Giada De Laurentiis Says Treat Men Like Kings or Else — Agree?

When it comes to traditional gender roles, celeb chef Giada De Laurentiis has the cooking part down. Giada, who's been with her husband since 1989, recently opened up about her marriage, telling Redbook magazine that she enjoys playing the role of doting wife and mother, and that in fact, it's crucial to a long-lasting relationship. Explaining that she tries to be the "young girl he met 20 years ago," she says:

"All men want to be treated like kings in a relationship, and I think if women don't indulge that sometimes, their men are likely to stray and look for someone who can give that to them."

It sounds to me like Giada subscribes to the same school as Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, which suggests that letting "men be men" is the secret to a healthy relationship. And when it comes to fidelity, she also seems to think the cheated-on spouse shares some culpability if she doesn't give her husband enough attention. The sentiment is definitely a throwback, but Giada has the long relationship that implies it's working for her. What do you make of her thoughts?

It’s kind of pathetic that Giada is digging up the old sex rumors. Seems like she’s just using John Mayer as a launching pad to attract media attention: http://foodiegossip.blogspot.com/2011/01/giada-de-laurentiis-youre-keeping-john.html
The alleged sex romp happened more than 2 months ago and Mayer has been accused of sleeping with 5 other women since then. Time to move on…

The "or else" part is stupid. The rest is just being nice.
But Giada is going to be disappointed if she thinks she can 'keep' her man by being good. Plenty of women act like slaves and still get cheated on and left. (And the only way to be the girl you were 20 years ago is to fail to evolve, and maybe cryogenically freeze your face.)
The best way to 'keep' your man is choose the right one in the first place!

I like being considerate and like it when people are considerate of me. I like to spoil people, but I also like to be spoiled. So in a sense I agree with her. But I don't believe I should be the only one giving. I also like to give.

Every relationship is unique and apparently, that works for her and her husband. Even though I love to cook and take care of my family, so does my husband, so we think of ourselves as equals and we have a mutual respect for one another--we actually pride ourselves in not having that traditional, Ozzie and Harriett/Donna Reed mentality.

She just said all men WANT to be treated like a king, and to indulge it SOMETIMES. She's not saying she's living back in the 50's and letting him control everything in the house! I think her psychology is right, if you are completely bashing your partner to his face, and treating him like dirt and someone should come around that treats him with respect and kindness he'll naturally gravitate towards that person because it's a new feeling. It should be equal, he should treat you like the queen if you're treating him like a king. Some people are just reading way too much into what she said!

@RoaringSilence: "Something that makes me sad though is the way women are portrayed in pop culture, like in the Sex and the city movies and movies such as Knocked Up. The women are allowed to be total divas who expect to be waited on hand and foot. Yet their partners are not entitled to even slightly the same treatment. I do believe that a lot of women are influenced by this and think they can get away with expecting to be treated like a queen while not giving anything back.
In that sense, I do agree with Giada in saying that men deserve to be treated well, too. "
Well-said! Kindness is something that both partners in a relationship should practice as well as enjoy.

I believe respect is a 2-way street. I would not belittle, put down, or nag a man, but he could not do those things either.
All this "him being in charge at the home" is bullcrap. We both study, we both work, we both pay the bills, we both have a say in what goes on.

While her statement conjures up an image of a woman waiting on her man, I certainly do agree that people in committed relationships should treat one another well and allow the other person to be themselves. Of course I believe it's a two way street.

I agree with Girl Jen. The point is to be exactly equal. I don't think that people who don't treat their partner right deserve to be cheated on, since that partner could bring the issue up or end the relationship and THEN go look elsewhere.
Something that makes me sad though is the way women are portrayed in pop culture, like in the Sex and the city movies and movies such as Knocked Up. The women are allowed to be total divas who expect to be waited on hand and foot. Yet their partners are not entitled to even slightly the same treatment. I do believe that a lot of women are influenced by this and think they can get away with expecting to be treated like a queen while not giving anything back.
In that sense, I do agree with Giada in saying that men deserve to be treated well, too.

Whatever. Men and women are not that different. We both want the same things. Just be nice, be respectful, indulge your partner a little bit (because really, that is one of the fun parts of being in a relationship), and expect the same in return.